Educational Outreach

“Education is all a matter of building bridges.” Ralph Ellison

Jack Freidlander, Vice President of Santa Barbara City College, speaks on behalf of PlayFest Santa Barbara.

Education is a fundamental component of our work at PlayFest Santa Barbara. Literacy and cultural education are vitally important to the health and vitality of our community and especially to the development of our students.

We strive to expand the impact of theatre beyond the stage by building long-term educational and artistic relationships with the community we serve. It is our educational mission to entertain, encourage and mentor students, engaging them as active participants in creative and empowering theatrical experiences. Our goal is to encourage young playwrights by providing a 10 minute and One Act play/musical writing competition, designed for students at different educational levels, from junior high through university. Select student playwrights will have the opportunity to have their plays performed in a publicly staged reading by professional actors and receive one-on-one mentoring from a playwright in-residence, composer, director or dramaturge.

Teachers receiving an extended residency will select up to four plays from their respective classes. The selected plays will be granted a public performance given by professional and university actors. The selected playwrights will be included in all rehearsals.